Shoulder decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various hand, wrist, shoulder, cervical spine, low back, and knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected gunshot wound residuals of the right shoulder.

The Board found that the veteran's right shoulder disability was not incurred in service and denied his claim. The hepatitis C claim was also denied as there is no evidence of its occurrence during service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal concerning issues 2 through 9, leaving only the claims for major depressive disorder and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, or arthritis of the left shoulder. The claims for these conditions are denied as they were not incurred in service and there is no evidence linking them to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations and an earlier effective date for service connection were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support reopening his previously denied claim for tinnitus, as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board found no evidence of the claimed conditions during or within one year after service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected bursitis of the left shoulder, residuals of fracture is currently rated at 10 percent and his low back disability was not found to be related to service or a service-connected condition. The claim for increased rating for the left hip disability is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected postoperative malignant schwannoma of the right knee and residuals of a gunshot wound to the right shoulder, Muscle Group III.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, as well as other conditions. The decision also noted that there was no significant progression in his hearing loss during service.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder pain status post rotator cuff repair. The case has been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of extraschedular evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of a low back, left shoulder, or right knee disability during the veteran's active service. The current diagnoses are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis and an earlier effective date for his right shoulder bursitis disability rating. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of sinusitis, and that the veteran's functional loss due to pain did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating prior to August 2001.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and left shoulder tendinitis, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the right shoulder and hepatitis C. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore denied his claims for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 and DEA eligibility.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the shoulders was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection. The rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine remains at 40 percent.